The Golden State Warriors have been proven somewhat fortunate this offseason, with their long-awaited free agency signings willing to wait on a resolution surrounding the future of young forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Even with the Kuminga saga still ongoing, a flurry of moves were made on Sunday with the Warriors adding veterans Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II. But while Kuminga's free agency hasn't stopped the franchise from signing that trio, it has specifically prevented their ability to sign another promising young forward.
Coleman Hawkins has left the Warriors due to the Jonathan Kuminga stalemate
Coleman Hawkins was part of Golden State's summer league squad where he made six appearances, averaging 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 47.8% from the floor. The 6'10" forward's combination of size and offensive versatility did stand out on occasions, with many hoping he'd join the Warriors for training camp where he could push for a two-way contract or at the very least remain with Santa Cruz in the G League.
Instead Hawkins will head to Denver for training camp, hoping to making it on a Nuggets team that has fortified its big man department with the addition of veteran center Jonas Valancuinas to backup 3x MVP Nikola Jokic.
When asked about the move in a recent interview with Scott Richey of the The News-Gazette, Hawkins specifically pointed to the Kuminga situation and that he didn't have time for it to play out.
“I think Denver has always had interest. They were heavy on me. I just didn’t have time to really wait around and wait for the whole Kuminga situation to unfold," Hawkins said.
It also sounds like Hawkins wasn't particularly thrilled about the summer league experience with Golden State, telling Richey, “I thought it was OK...I would say I just didn’t get to be myself in a sense, but it was still a good experience.”
Hawkins played five years of college at Illinois and Kansas State, with his best season coming in 2023-24 where he averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.
While the 23-year-old actively moved to ensure his future was not determined by the Kuminga outcome, the same can't be said for Seth Curry whose inclusion to the Warrior roster will hinge on whether the former seventh overall pick takes the qualifying offer or one of the multi-year offers currently on the table from the franchise.